Αισων
A son of Cretheus (Table 1 and Table 21). By marrying Polymede, the daughter of Antolycus, he became the great-uncle of Odysseus, but other traditions make him marry Alcimede, daughter of Phylacus (Table 20). He was the half-brother of Pelias and the father of Jason. Pelias robbed him of the kingdom of Iolcos, which he had left him by Cretheus and sent Jason to win the Golden Fleece. When the rumour spread that the Argonauts had been lost, Pelias, no longer fearful, wanted to kill Aeson. The latter asked to be allowed to choose the manner of his death, and poisoned himself with bull's blood. Ovid has a quite different story, in which Aeson saw his son again and was magically restored to youth by the magic of Medea.
{E2 DICTIONARY OF CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY}
Table of Sources:
- Apollod. Bibl. 1, 9, 11; 1, 9, 16; 1, 9, 27
- Hom. Od. 11, 259
- Apoll. Rhod. Arg. 1, 46; 1, 233
- Ovid, Her. 6, 105; Met. 7, 163; 250ff.
- Hyg. Fab. 3; 13
- Diod. Sic. 4, 50
- Val. Flacc. Arg. 1, 777ff.